Korean War Podcast

The Long March to Civil War

The background to the Chinese Civil War, the fighting between the Nationalists and the Communists, in the twenties and thirites. The Long March when Mao led the Communists to North China. The uneasy peace between the two sides in order to fight the Japanese from 1937. A biography of Nationalist leader Chian Kai-Shek. The problems within the Chinese Nationalist Army in their war against Japan. August 1945 when the Soviet Red Army invades Manchuria.

The American bombing of North Vietnam is halted over the 1965 Christmas period. In this final episode of this series, I look at the state of the American military effort in South Vietnam at the end of 1965 though the prism of the Fulbright Hearing in the US Senate held in February 1966. A biography of Senator Fulbright.

Military actions in South Vietnam during November and December 1965. The American Army launch a series of search and destroy operations including operation Hump to find and kill the Viet Cong, yet none of them result in a total victory, thee Viet Cong when they wish are able to break off contact. Growing doubts exist within the American military leadership of General Westmoreland's tactics.

The first major battle between regular American soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division and regular North Vietnamese troops. There re two major engagements, one at landing zone X-Ray, biography of the American commander Lieutenant Colonel Moore. Hundreds of American troops are killed but even more North Vietnamese die too.

Military operations in South Vietnam in September and October 1965. Australian and New Zealand military involvement in South Vietnam in 1965. A biography of Major Charles Beckworth an American special forces soldier serving in South Vietnam in 1965.

At first American troops in South Vietnam simply protect American bases but General Westmoreland get permission to change their role to include search and destroy operations to go out an fin the enemy and kill them. One of the first is Operation Starlite carried out by American Marines in the north of South Vietnam.

In this episode, I deal with the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army their effective use of ambushes and bobby traps.. I compare their main gun the AK47 and the American M14 rifle and why the more rugged AK47 proved to be a better weapon in the jungle of South Vietnam.

In this episode I look at the American Army in South Vietnam in 1965 as it builds up its resources in the country and begins to fight the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army. I shall deal with how the American Army is organised from the command of MACV down to the battalion and company. I deal with some of the weapon of the American Army and look at the Huey helicopter.

American ground forces build up in South Vietnam, air fields and barracks are built, to cope with the needs of an army from across the Pacific Ocean. A biography of key figure in the Government of South Vietnam General Ky is given. The American Navy cuts the supply of arms and equipment across the coast in Operation Market Time.

President Johnson orders the bombing of North Vietnam first during Operation Flaming Dart and then Rolling Thunder which would last until 1968 to force North Vietnam to give up its war in the South, The Communists would refuse to do so and the bombing campaign failed to destroy the North Vietnamese military. There was also bombing in Laos. The story of one American airmen captured by the North Vietnamese.